Medieval Master Swordsmen(449)
“That is understandable,” he said. “You have only just been told of his death. Please do not hold it against me that I was the one to tell you. It was only by chance.”
“I know that.”
“When I saw you out on the road, earlier today, I am sorry if I was harsh in addressing you as his widow. I did not know that you were unaware.”
“You were not harsh. You do not need to apologize.”
He stood there, growing uncomfortable, unsure what to say. He didn’t want to leave her alone, but suspected he should. Still, he wanted to reassure her that he would attempt to make as fine a husband as Garren le Mon. Perhaps it would help her grief and uncertainty right now.
“My lady, may I speak?”
“Aye.”
He scratched his head before continuing. “Perhaps this is not the right time to say this, but I am not sure if there will ever be a right time, so I must speak.” His hands, unconsciously, were cracking knuckles. “I am not Sir Garren, nor could I ever be, but I swear to you that I will never raise a hand to you, nor speak harshly to you, and I will provide you with comfort and gifts and protection as well as, or better than, any man alive. You will never want for anything. Perhaps… perhaps with time, you will grow accustomed to the idea of me as your husband, a poor substitute for Sir Garren.”
It was a kind thing to say, gently spoken. Derica could only nod, as she felt the tears coming again. Keller realized he had been expecting a reaction from her, something favorable. But she gave him nothing. Not knowing what else to say, he turned to leave.
“Thank you,” Derica whispered. “For your kindness and hospitality, I thank you.”
Keller paused, dipping his head graciously in response to her words. He also felt emboldened by them.
“If I were to bring you some food, would you eat it?”
Derica didn’t want to give him the kind of encouragement she suspected he was looking for. She refused to even think about it.
“I would like to have the children brought to me,” she said. “And perhaps some food for all of us.”
A hint of a smile crossed Keller’s lips. “It shall be done, my lady.”
***
Sian and Aneirin slept with Derica that night in the great bed, and for the next several nights afterward. She would not let them out of her sight. Keller would come every morning as their meal was brought and would attempt to engage her in small talk, which he wasn’t very good at. Although Derica could sense his conversational ineptness, she hadn’t a greater desire to lead their conversations. So Keller would leave within a few minutes, saying he had duties to attend to, which he did, but it was obvious he was disappointed that his future bride had no interest in him. Derica was never rude, but she wasn’t particularly receptive, either. Keller would return two or three more times throughout the day just to see if she required anything, but she never did. At least, not from him.
Whether or not she required anything, Keller saw to it that she had an entirely fitting noblewoman’s wardrobe by week’s end. The two severe women who aided Derica were the chatelaines of the castle and had set an armada of women sewing garments for Derica and the children. Keller had personally escorted the severe women to the town of Penfro to barter with the merchants for fabric. While the women tended to the dressing needs, he had wandered to the silverworker’s hovel and had come away with several lovely pieces of jewelry.
Keller had never bought jewelry in his life and had gone over the top with his first purchase. Either the silversmith had been very persuasive, or Keller had been very weak to resist the sales pitch. At any rate, there were three brooches with different colored semi-precious stones, one necklace with Citrine stone and one with Garnet stone, each necklace with a matching ring, and finally a filigree belt inlaid with pale purple stones that he had sewn into a gown of heavy lavender brocade.
On the guise that they were wedding gifts to his bride, Keller had delivered everything to Derica after sup one evening. He’d simply thrown all of the gowns on the bed and then handed her the jewelry in a great awkward bunch. While Derica stood there with her hands overflowing with silver and stones, Keller gave the children little trinkets he had also picked up on his shopping tour. Sian had a wooden horse and cart and a tiny sword, while Aneirin had a doll. Before they could properly thank him, Keller predictably fled the room.
Stunned with the gifts and his fast disappearance, Derica put the jewelry on the table against the wall and went through the pieces one at a time. Aneirin came to stand beside her, inspecting each item carefully. The little girl had never seen such things. She put one of the necklaces around the doll’s neck and Derica smiled her approval. The jewelry was finely made, Derica knew; she had possessed a great deal of it, left behind at Framlingham. This small horde must have cost Keller a sizable amount of money.